Stars stampede past Flames, push club-record win streak to 10 games
Sam Steel scored twice in a three-point game and Matt Duchene recorded a career-best four assists to pace the Dallas Stars to a franchise-record-extending 10th consecutive win, 6-1 over the host Calgary Flames on Tuesday.
Jamie Benn and Wyatt Johnston both netted one goal and one assist while Mavrik Bourque and Nathan Bastian added a goal apiece for the Stars, who outscored their opposition by a 12-2 margin in a two-game road swing with games on consecutive nights.
Dallas goaltender Casey DeSmith made 20 saves and Jason Robertson collected a pair of assists.
Duchene, whose four points tied a career high, has racked up 17 points (eight goals, nine assists) in a 10-game stretch.
Morgan Frost tallied for the Flames, who have just three victories in 12 games (3-6-3).
Calgary's starting goalie, Dustin Wolf, was pulled after surrendering four goals on 17 shots. Devin Cooley stopped 16 shots in mop-up duty, with 13 of those saves coming in a one-sided third period while his team provided little late pushback.
Steel opened the scoring 8:44 in with a nifty redirect, and Frost tied the clash 68 seconds later by deflecting Blake Coleman's pass.
The Stars broke the game open just past the midway point of the first period.
Benn put the visitors ahead for good at 11:54 when his quick attempt from the deep slot just squeezed past Wolf on the short side for his 10th of the season.
Bourque kicked off a four-goal second period for Dallas by deflecting the point shot into the cage at 2:26 of the frame.
Steel netted his second of the clash less than four minutes later with a one-timer from the right faceoff dot, which spelled the end of the game for Wolf.
The goalie change had no impact. Bastian made it a 5-1 affair with another deflection tally at 8:48 of the middle period. Johnston extended the edge further by scoring on a power play with 19 seconds left before the second intermission.
The clubs played a scoreless third period thanks to Cooley's efforts.